(http://www.anh-usa.org/a-new-diet-pill-hits-the-market/print/)
Lose very little weight, and gain lots of nasty side effects!

FDA has just approved a new weight loss drug called Belviq. Itâ€™s the first new prescription drug for long-term weight loss to enter US in over a decade. As we noted in February (http://www.anh-usa.org/fda-advisory-panel-green-lights-toxic-weight-loss-pill/), the pharmaceutical industry is desperate for new blockbuster drugs. The patents on their biggest money-making drugs are expiring, which will cause drug prices and profits to plummet when generic versions become available, so the drug-makers are in a frenzy to find a new pill for a mass market.

Whether Belviq is that golden ticket is in serious doubt. First off, the weight loss it achieves is extremely modest (http://news.yahoo.com/fda-clears-first-weight-loss-pill-13-years-190831795--finance.html)â€”only 47% of patients lost more than 5% of their body weight over a yearâ€™s time, with the average patient losing between 3% and 3.7%. In other words, if you weighed 200 pounds, you might lose about seven pounds over the course of a year.